Stop and Smell the Roses. The Wedding Crasher Corner.

When we crash weddings we love to observe various traditions that brides have, but we have yet to attend a wedding without the tradition of carrying a bridal bouquet. Ever wondered why we do this besides the fact that they are gorgeous? Here’s the honest to goodness truth, back in the day brides carried bouquets to mask the smell of body odor. Yep! When there is no deodorant what else is gal to do? The Bridal Bouquet. Oh, how it has evolved! Now they are just gorgeous and we can’t imagine weddings without them.

We recently attended a wedding that had the most extraordinary floral arrangements. So you know me…I had to find out who was responsible for all these gorgeous bouquets. Turns out she is a local Columbia, Missouri gem that truly is one-of-a-kind!

Meet Katie Wilkins. Katie is a social worker by day and a passionate florist by night. Over a year ago, she started a little side business called KBW Floral Design. In the course of two years, her business has organically exploded and brides just can’t get enough of her. We can’t either! So we sat down with her and to share some tidbits about the her life, her biz and her flowers.

There is a saying that I think becomes more and more true as I get older. “In life, a little rain must fall.” I’ve also learned that the rain helps things spring and bloom things into life. This exactly what Katie said happened in her life. After a season of loss, Katie came to a place where she wanted to create beautiful things that made people come alive. It was at that time that KBW Floral was born.

In November of 2014, she started off creating arrangements for her friend who’s home was being displayed in the Holiday Home Tour. In 2015, she helped with the Rainbow House Masquerade Ball. From there, she continued to do smaller events like bridal showers and gradations. Now, she has grown to be a florist for many top weddings in the mid-west region while still giving her all to social work. A heart and a creative- I just love her!

For all of our friends and brides out there, we wanted to highlight Katie and her talent because it was so unique. She loves to transform weddings and events by delivering a vision that each person has for their big day. The details are what matter to her the most and she obsesses over texture, color and even vase choices. Her eyes light up when she told us that her favorite part is getting a bride to get excited when they first lay eyes on her work.

There are many things about your wedding day that are out of your control. As a wedding crasher, I have seen it all! However, you can always “hand-pick” your florist. Pick someone who loves their craft, who has a heart of gold and is willing to go all out for you. We end this wedding corner segment with a little video from Five Pillar Productions of Katie’s work. Enjoy!